Thimble structure j



E. 0. Fox

. THIMBLESTRUCTURE FOR PARTITIONS Filed N pv. 10. 1922 Patented Oct. 11, 192?.

UNITED ERNEST o. FOX, OFGLEVELAND, OHIO.

THIMBLE STRUCTURE FOR PARTITIONS.

Application filed November 10, 1922. Serial No. 600,150.

, tensible to any desired length, but when not in use may be readily collapsed, thereby not only minimlzlng the space necessary therefor in shipping and storing the same,

but materially strengthening the structure and minimizing the liability of damage thereto in handling or storing the same; which structure is easily and quickly mounted in a wall, such mounting being effected from one side thereof; and which structure readily accommodates itself to Variations in alignment of the opposed openings in the wall.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in .part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing, which represents one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is a vertical. sectional View of my improved thimble structure mounted in the floor of a room the thimble members being provided with the usual ventilating grids Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure in collapsed position, the View being partly in elevation and partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view with the register removed.

.Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the floor of a room, 2 the ceiling of a room below,and 3 and 4 opposed openings in the floor and ceiling, respectively. Suitably mounted in the openings in said floorjand ceiling is my improved thimble structure 1, their combined height is greater than the maximum thickness of the usual partition or registers and ventilator face Said thimbles are of such cross difloor or ceiling, each of said thimbles being preferably substantially equal in height. M

Said thimble structure comprises two end thimble members 5, 6 and one intermediate thimble member 7, said thimbles being telescoplcally arranged, with end thimble 5, for example, the largest in cross section, and end thimble 6, the lowest one in Fig. 1, the small est. Each of said end thimbles is provided at its outer end with an outwardly extending flange, flange 8 of thimble 5 being adapted to engage the floor 1 around opening 3, and flange 9 of thimble 6 being adapted to engage the ceiling 2 around opening 4c, when the thimble structure is mounted in the floor and ceiling, as indicated in Fig. 1, the means for securing said structure therein being hereinafter described.

Said intermediate thimble 7, which is adapted-to slide or telescope within floor thimble 5, is provided at its upper end edges with outwardly and downwardly extending flanges which are adapted to engage or cooperate with inwardly and upwardly extending flanges at the lower or inner end edges of thimble 5, so as to provide interlocking connections 10 between thimbles 7 and 5. While telescoping movement of said thimbles is freely permitted, longitudinal separation thereof'is prevented, at one end by the interlocking flanges 10, and at the otherend, the

upper or outer end of thimble 5, by an inwardly extending flange 11, which may be an integral part of floor engaging flange 8 or a separate flange suitably secured thereto, as shown, the primary purpose of said inwardly extending flange 11 being to center the register secured in the outer end of thimble 5, as will later appear. lVhen the thimble structure is assembled and mounted in a partition, or in a floor and ceiling, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end portion of intermediate thimble 7 engages or is sleeved over the upper end or ceiling portion of lower end thimble 6, so that the passage within the thimble structure is, closed from the space between the walls of the partition or the floor and ceiling, and theair passing through said passage is prevented from escaping.

Usually but one intermediate thimble is utilized, but more may be used if desired. especially where unusually thick partitions or floors and ceilings are encountered, it be-, ing inadvisable to materially increase the r height of any or all of the several 'thimbles by reason ofthe fact that greater space would be required in shipping and storing the structure, and also because said structure would thereby be materially weakened so that the liability of damage thereto in handling or storing the same would be consequently increased.

Said thimble structure is secured or held in place in the floor and ceiling with flange 8 of thimble' engaging the floor and flange 9 of thimble (i engaging the ceiling by means of a pair of coiled springs 12, suitably secured to the inner faces of opposed wall portions of the lower ceilin thimble 6 the outer free ends of said springs being arovide'd with suitable'hook portions adapted to be secured in suitable apertures 13 in opposed wall portions of the upper floor thimble 5'.

Both end thiinbles 'carry the usual ventilating grids, the grid 'or ventilator plate 1T5 for the lower thiinblebeing secured to the coil ing. engaging flange 9' of th-iinble 6, such as by the bolts and nuts 14'. @pening 3-in floor l is cove-red by a removable register grid. one preferred standard form being indicated at 16. Said register is rectangular in shape and is provided with the usual pivoted slate 17 for opening and closing the passage therethrough.

The above described device embodying my improved thi'mble structure is installed or mounted in the floor and ceiling, asind-icated in Fig. 1. Registered grid 16" is removed and the end thimble 5 and intermediate thimble 7' are now inserted into the floor opening 3. with flange 8' of tl imble 5 engaging or resting upon the floor around said opening, intermediate thimble 7' being sup ported by end th-iinble 5 by reason of the interlocking flanges 10 therebetween: C'ei'lingthimble 6 with its attached ventilator faceplate is then passed through the 'open center of' thiinble 5 and. thus through floor opening 3' and ceiling opening 4, being easily h old by the hands of the workman on floor l. T he body portion of said thim-ble is then in sorted upwardly into ceiling openingthat the outwardly extending flange 9 of'said thimble' and the attached ventilator face plate 15 engage the ceiling 2 around the opening 4 therein and the upper portion of the ceiling thinibl'e surrounds the lower portion of the intermediate thimble 7. p The hook portions of springs 12ers then grasped and hooked into the apertures: 13 in floor thi mble 5, thereby firmly securing the thi-mbles in place. Register 16 is then inserted in the upper end of thimble 5 with the place in the wall opening;

the room above. The structure may there fore be secured in a wall, such as a aartiqion or floor, by only one workman Nor-cover, the structure is readily extended and ad justed to the proper length, and when not in use, may be readily collapsed to exceedingly compact. form. Furthermore, the structure, reason of its series oftelescoping thimbles, readily accommodates itself to variations in alignment of the opposed opeir ings in the floor and ceiling, as will be readily understood.

Having described iny'invention, I claim 1. A ventilating thimblefor securement in a wall havinga through openingv extending from one face to the other, comprising two end thimble members adapted to be mounted at opposite ends of said opening against the opposite facesofi thewall, each of said members being provided at one end with air outward'ly extending wall face engaging flange, one of said members being open and the second being constructed and arranged to be passed bodily through the wall. opening from one side and thence to its seat on: the opposite side of the wall, and means operatable through the opening of the open member for intereonnecting said members so as to maintain them in the wall? opening with their flanges engagingopposite wall faces.

2. A ventilating thiinble of the character described in claim 1, provided with an. intermediate thimble member telescopically related to and carried by one of said end men ibers and adapted to telescope the other and span the gap: between them when. in

3. A ventilatingthimble of the character described in claim 1', provided with a venti-' l ating gridremovably associated with said open end member andl ying over the opening thereof.

In t ed ilnony whereof I hereby m signature.

nnnnsr c. For,

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